An Eye Opening Email

"Have I got a TV show for you!" That was the opening line to an email sent by a friend recently. It was also an eye opener into an aspect of my life that I hadn't really considered before. My friend said that she loves all things British and suspected that we had "a similar leaning too......*wink." A "Love of all things British", whatever could've given her that idea? And was it true?

I took a quick survey of my bookshelves which tended to reveal a love of British authors like Jane Austen, Ellis Peters, PJ Wodehouse, & Agatha Christie. It was also interesting to see that my love seems to extend from historical times; Cadfael in the 1300's, Anne Elliot's early nineteenth century, Amelia Peabody in the enlightened Victorian age, Poirot's mystery cases in the 1920's & 1930's, on to Juliet Ashton's letters written just after the second world war and ending finally with the cases of Inspector Morse, Lynley and Barnaby of the 1980's, 90's and present day.

My DVD cupboard tells the same story with theatrical renditions of my favorite books: Cadfael, Jeeves & Wooster, House of Elliot, Poirot, and Midsomer Murders. On a side note-although I so obviously love England & the countryside I really would not want to live in the (fictional) county of Midsomer-its not a safe place, just too many murders!

Next I wandered over to my tea cupboard and there were no big surprises there either; Twinings Earl Grey, Harrods loose leaf Rose Petal Tea, and Whittard of Chelsea Chocolate Chai. Tea is generally the drink of choice next to water in this household, we hold after school tea time sacred and frequent the very English, Secret Garden Tea Company at least once a month.

(The Jane Austen Tea we held last summer)

Then in one of those AH HA moments, it occurred to me that, next to Victoria, I live in one of THE most British cities in all of Canada. New Westminster, "The Royal City" is oldest city in Western Canada, established of course by the very English Royal City Engineers and personally named by Queen Victoria herself. I live on and walk through my neighbourhood on streets that are all named in honor of English towns and areas. The biggest celebration of the year, held since 1870 is Queen Victoria's birthday combined with May Day celebrations. The primary schools here spend several months and a final two weeks in preparing their children to dance around the Maypole; which I certainly do not think is a good way to spend their time especially when you consider Beltane & Walpurgis Night, the original celebrations it's based on & the May pole dance which was enacted generally to ensure fertility for humans, animals and crops. However, as the city's website states "Our community isn’t just another suburb of a larger city – New Westminster’s heritage, traditions and character sets us apart with a unique identity." I have to admit that the "small town" feel is one of the reasons why we moved back here. I've often bragged that it is one of the only areas in the lower mainland that is considered a small town in the a big city wherein the front page of the local newspaper will feature the fiftieth anniversary of well-known couple who've more than likely lived their entire life here.

Last but not least I looked at my own signature. My married name "Greig" comes from the Scottish McGregor Clan; my husband's mother was a "Little", definitely an English/Scottish name and to cement the fact, her family participates in the yearly provincial Scottish games. We even blessed both our daughter's with Irish Gaelic names- Keeley and Brenna Colleen! So, despite the fact that I have an extreme love affair with France, as also evidenced by my bookshelves, DVD's, decor and food in my cupboard & fridge, I'm surrounded by all things British.

So in the spirit of recognizing this new found truth I want to share with you what my friend shared with me: The BCC television shows called "The Supersizers Go......" and "The Supersizers eat....". As I have learned on doing research, the shows are based on the concept of the documentary "Supersize Me" wherein the filmmaker documents his 30 days of eating only McDonalds. In the TV shows, British restaurant critic, Giles Coran and broadcaster & comedian Sue Perkins "eat" and enjoy a typical lifestyle thru various ages of British history. Before each week of eating and living for whichever time period has been chosen they visit a doctor and return later to find out the effects the diet had on their bodies.

Via Youtube I have already watched all of the "parts" of the Supersizers go Victorian and the food channel featured The Supersizers Go Restoration last Saturday morning. I'm already a confirmed fan and have set up my PVR to record other episodes on the Food Channel. Besides getting a glimpse into British history it's completely entertaining to see this modern day couples reaction to some of the horrendous foods and items that were eaten and the sometimes ridiculous lifestyles that were consider de rigueur during those days. Be sure to check them out!

Salynne ©2010

4 Line Prose - The Best Medicine

Marc's Daily Writing Practice - Friday, April 16, 2010

The Topic for your 4 Line Prose this week is: the best medicine.

Marc's:

Good afternoon everyone, and thank you for making time in your busy schedules to join us.

We here at Jester Laboratories have some very exciting news to share with you today. What you are about to see is the culmination of twenty years of lab testing, field research, divorces, great leaps forward, and soul destroying setbacks.

But we are all in agreement that it was worth every sleepless night to reach this moment when we are finally able to say: Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to present to you… Laughter in a BottleTM

Mine:

Curled up in a big comfy chair with a hot cup of tea sitting on a side table.
Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice sits open on my lap.
My eyes see words but my mind takes me into a world of refinement, beauty, and simpler times.
The very best medicine for a stressful life.

Salynne ©2010

The Home Library - More than Decoration

Years ago I read a book called Decorating Rich: How to Achieve a Monied Look Without Spending a Fortune. The authors show how to get the feeling of opulence through a collection of items that you would expect to see in a wealthy persons home; an animal print chair cover, a paisley shawl and the ever regal and organized floor to ceiling library.

For book lovers like myself having a library is not about decorating but about surrounding yourself with the things that you love. Sometimes its the words written inside a book, the way the lines and verse speak to your soul; other times it's the publication itself, the quality and feel of the paper or the vibrancy of its illustrations. Holbrook Jackson said it well, "Your Library is Your Portrait".


Now there's even more reason to fill your shelves with books; research shows that having a library gives school children a decided advantage over their peers. The article "Home Libraries Provide Huge Education Advantages" explains that researcher M.D.R. Evans has compiled data to show that a home library is a "reflection of a family’s “scholarly culture,” or a “way of life in homes where books are numerous, esteemed, read and enjoyed." If children are used to reading and find enjoyment in books while growing up the chances they will enjoy and do better in school is that much higher.

The writer of the article Tom Jacobs concludes that "mom and dad don’t have to be scholars themselves; they just have to read and respect books, and pass that love of reading down to their children." I cannot think of a better reason to have a library.

Salynne

My husbands parents will soon be celebrating their 50th anniversary. During a family meeting to discuss plans for their anniversary party we bantered ideas back and forth about what to get them for a gift.

Our first thought was a gift of experience, specifically a trip somewhere or a stay at a bed & breakfast. The idea of an Alaskan cruise came up but that would be a repeat vacation for them plus they don't have passports and don't seem in any way to be inclined to get them. Next we considered a Rocky Mountain Rail Tour which starts in Vancouver and ends in Calgary but then there is the hassle of getting them home. Neither of his parents like flying so we would have to get the round trip train route making the gift about double what our budget is. We finally decided after talking for an hour and getting nowhere to shelve talking or thinking about a gift for a time in the hopes that the ideal "something" would pop up.

We started discussing our relationship with his parents and we all concurred that it was too bad that they weren't Internet connected because it would be so much easier to keep in touch with email. I exclaimed how sad it was that Bruce's mom did not have access to either of our blogs or facebook as a way of knowing what was going on in our lives. I recounted how last fall I had explained to Bruce's mom that I was writing a blog and although she was not at all familiar with the idea she was very interested especially when I explained that it was a great way to keep connected to friends and to share things like writing and poetry. Suddenly Bruce's face lit up and he said he knew what to get his parents for their anniversary! A new Internet able computer and a one year subscription for the Internet.

It's makes perfect sense, at least to us. There is so much of our life that is now related to computers. Like the many grandparents who keep in touch with their children via facebook and email I hope his parents will be ushered in a new type of relationship with their laptop, mp3, Internet-savy granddaughter. Bruce's mom has already taken several computer courses and the world-wide web may still seem a rather scary place for her but I don't think it will be long before she will be comfortable with it. What freedom it will give these two seniors! No longer will they complain that we don't send photos because they'll be able to go to one of our photo storage sites, upload and print any picture of their granddaughter that they want to stick up on their fridge. We'll be able to share poetry and maybe I'll be able to help "Momma" set up her own poetry blog to showcase some of the wonderful things she's written.

The anniversary party is coming up at the end of the month and we're looking into what we have to do to get their gift in place. It's true, the gift is for them, to give them a better connection to our life and to our world, but I have to say that I'm feeling a little guilty and a little selfish in this choice. This gift is for us too. It will mean that we get to see Bruce's parents in a new light, get to know more about their daily lives and what is important to them. We'll simply be getting "more" of them. I absolutely cannot wait to send Bruce's mom one of those "Get to know Your Friends" emails that ask all of those questions: What are you wearing on your feet right now? What three things did you eat last night? or what is your favorite color? The answers to those questions might be mundane but I'm really looking forward to getting to know another side of the mother and father-in-law whom I so dearly love.

Salynne ©2010

Spring Rituals - A Visit to 12th Century England

Each year when the trees are in blossom and we get more sunny days than rainy ones, I get a very strong urge to get down on my knees and put my hands into the earth. The yearly spring gardening bug has bitten. This is when I dig out my gardening journal and note the dates when I saw the first crocus', the first snowdrops and when the first of the trees swell into bud.

My garden journal details almost 20 years of weather, the emergence of spring, the time of the first frost and winter dreams of what my garden would hold in the new year. When we lived in Vancouver we had a lovely yard with good drainage and I always had a great organic vegetable & flower garden. Here in New Westminster, our soil is good but it does not drain well and therefore gardening is usually a rather damp and wet affair, certainly not as pleasant as in our previous location. Since many of my planting and growing experiences here have not been as satisfactory most of our flower beds are now planted with perennials and only need tidying up every spring and fall. Getting my hands in the soil and planting has been relegated to a small herb garden on the side of our yard. The joy of this small plot reaches its peak when basil and cilantro are in season; there is nothing like having garden fresh herbs in a salad or pasta dish.


Another ritual that goes along with my urge to get my hands in the dirt is reading gardening books and the twenty Brother Cadfael Mystery books written by Ellis Peters. Brother Cadfael is a Welsh Benedictine monk who is a talented herbalist; I affectionately refer to him as a medieval CSI detective who also serves in roles such as coroner, diplomat and physician. His knowledge of herbs is extraordinary, something he learned in his prior life as a knight while on a crusade in the Holy Lands. My yard boasts plants from his herbarium and apothecary like the very poisonous and lethal Monk's Hood along with more mundane herbs like Borage, Mint, Poppies and Lavender. Just this past winter I found out there is a David Austen rose called Brother Cadfael and the next step is to go down to my local garden shop and get it ordered. Between the new rose and the book on Medieval Gardens I picked up at our local library I should have no problem in creating a new plan to turn my little bit of earth into more of a physic garden similar to the one Cadfael grows.


The past few days I have watched and enjoyed the PBS Cadfael series starring Derek Jacobi who does a fabulous job of portraying this insightful benedictine monk. Tonight however, my springtime ritual will start when I make myself a cup of tea, perhaps chamomile or mint, and sit down to devour the first book in the series, A Morbid Taste for Bones. If you need to get in touch with me at least you'll know where I am, visiting the town of Shrewsbury in the 12th century!

©2010 Salynne Wilde

Writing for Strangers

One of the things I learned at The Writers Union workshop was that if you are a blogger and you want your work to become popular you should be writing on topics that would be interesting to strangers. That's an interesting concept and it has caused me to ask myself just who have I been writing for and what the intent of this blog is.

After giving it some thought and reading my profile I've come to realize that I've been writing to please myself and if people find it interesting then that is an added bonus. Many of my friends have said they enjoy reading my posts because it's a great way for them to keep up with what is going on in my life. I really enjoy getting emails or hearing from a friend how one of my posts has inspired them to take action or do something that will make their life better.

The workshop really focused on how to promote yourself as an author, how to get your work out there and establish a reputation in the field. It is certainly my intent to set up a website for self promotion but I'm now working on how to meld my new business venture, a niche market greeting card company, with my book and other pieces of fiction that I intend to finish. When you combine those two things, this blog under my pen name and the writing and speaking that I do professionally as Susan Greig, most of which is related to special needs children, pediatric bereavement and grief and the philosophy of family centred care, I certainly will have to put my little grey cells to work on how to create myself into a "brand".

For the time being everything will stay as it has been and I will continue writing Wilde Tide for myself and for those of you who enjoy reading my ramblings.


Salynne/Susan

I AM a Self-Published Author

On Friday I was able to attend an excellent workshop sponsored by the Writers’ Union of Canada and Canadian Heritage entitled: Secure Footing in a Changing Literary Landscape.

This professional development symposium for writers was so inspiring for me that I have barely been able to sleep since attending. Deborah Windsor, the Union’s executive director, discussed authors’ contracts which was informative and helpful if you are considering going the route of getting a traditional press to publish your work. Information from authors Betsy Warland and Ross Laird outlined the huge changes in the literary industry. What really fired me up was the information they gave on the innovative digital and Internet opportunities that are out there for people to take advantage of. The world-wide web has spawned new pathways and creative venues for publishing and it means re-thinking what we are currently doing and how to take advantage of the constant barrage of new technology.

The entire publishing industry has been turned on its head and many of the long-established bastions of literary production are now publishing, not manuscripts that have been submitted in the traditional way, but books based on what people are reading on the Internet. A good example of this is the book/movie Julie/Julia; another case in point is Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman whose successful blog created such a stir that a traditional publishing company offered her a cookbook contract.

The most gratifying point for me was Ross' comments about self-publishing. He profiled several authors who have become very successful selling their own work and explained that the days of vanity publishing "shame" are now over. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, self publishing has been viewed as derogatory often implying that the author is only printing their book out of vanity and that the work would not be commercially successful enough for a traditional publishing house to take on. Curse the fellow who invented the term. Many companies, including the Writers Union of Canada now offer printing on demand and this is allowing authors, who have stories to share but who may not have been able to get a traditional press to look at their work, to become very successful. Did you know for example that if an author in Canada sells 5,000 books they are considered a best selling author? With the world wide market of the Internet available that it not such a difficult feat.

Those points all brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to stand up and shout the proclamation, "My name is Susan Greig and I AM a self-published author. I had four books sell in a bookstore & now my books sell all over the world on the Internet!" As detailed in my previous blog the Batten Disease Association approached me in 1995 and gave me funding so that I could self-publish my book, Forever Special Friends. To tell, the truth I've always been ashamed of this and have felt that I was somehow not a "real" author. I put in my profile that I was published but it felt like a lie. People from all over the world have sent me wonderful letters of appreciation for FSF all of which I have denigrated and discounted only because of the spectacles of shame that I have been peering through.

On Friday, Ross helped me throw away those lenses; I saw things in a new way and there will be no going back. I will proclaim off the roof tops and eventually a new website that Forever Special Friends is an amazing resource for families who are battling a disease that will take their children away from them. To think that we started out with a print run of 5,000 books and I have less than a thousand left. Within a few years I will be a best selling author! It may have taken me fifteen years to sell the first 4,200 books but I can guarantee the last 800 will fly off the shelves in comparison.

There are so many other things that I learned and have to work on but sharing them with you will have to wait for another posting. You can also look forward to some new announcements about my plans for my new author website and an up and coming entrepreneurial venture that I've been working on.

Cheers,

Salynne/Susan
©2009
(sorry no photos today--I cannot get them to upload-must be a problem with the site-will add later!)